[Taxacom] Taxacom Digest, Vol 138, Issue 9

[John Grehan]

I can well understand one having strong views about replacement of former
displays and whether their replacements are any ‘better’, but to just throw
out accusations about “crook corrupted politicians and bureaucrats” without
any data is not very helpful or informative. If Vratislav had some kind of
data to present on the significance and impact of the earlier displays on
the museum’s financial model or its demonstrated contribution to the
museum’s goals then his comments might have had some meaningful content of
general interest. I experienced a situation where a large bird display was
to be replaced and initially many of the birders were quite outraged. But
it was pointed out that the display (having been there for some time) had a
staying power for most of the public that could be measured in seconds (the
time it took to walk through the hall) and much as birders (and myself)
might have liked it, birders pretty much never visited or used the display.
Given those considerations the display was not effective and in the end
most people, including the bird enthusiasts, recognized that reality.

So what is missing regarding the Australian Museum is a data driven
commentary on just whether or to what extent the 4 000 birds, insects and
spiders on display were or were not an effective use of museum space. Not
saying they were not, just that there is no data here.

Richard introduces another set of accusations about maladministration
without specifics. Also suggesting that the collections need to be
‘salvaged’ before it is too late. What data is there to suggest that the
collections are not being properly cared for?


Richard also asserts, without evidence, that "A museum that is run by those
who act more like Government and Bureaucratic lapdogs than scientists has
no secure future". I've not seen any data to support the contention that a
'scientist' running a museum is necessarily better able to succeed than one
that is not. For example, effective running of a museum requires a lot of
skills, including financial and human resources management, public
relations, and fundraising (as opposed to grant writing), that are not
necessarily part of the background of every scientist.

John Grehan

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On Mon, Oct 16, 2017 at 8:06 PM, Richard Wells <envirodata at hotmail.com>
wrote:

> Vratislav,
>
>
> Yes, very sad about what has become of the Australian Museum ! However, I
> can tell you that in my opinion the rot started within it long ago, and
> what we see unfolding now are the inevitable death throws that result from
> a maladministration cancer that actually had its genesis within its own
> ranks. A museum that is run by those who act more like Government and
> Bureaucratic lapdogs than scientists has no secure future. In my view the
> NSW Government should offer up for sale all of the AM material so that
> other world museums who still honour their original charter of collecting,
> protecting and storing for posterity their collections are able to salvage
> this priceless treasure before it is too late....if it is not already. A
> pox on those irresponsibles - they turn every cell in my body putrid with
> contempt...
>
>
> Anyway, those hot summer days in the bush when we were all youngsters
> collecting beetles among the Bursaria are now long gone. The precious few
> specimens salvaged in lieu of saving their habitats was small compensation
> for a lost world, and soon only the memories of what was will remain with
> us....a few naturalists whose numbers decline now faster than the
> collections we struggled to build it would seem...
>
>
> Best Wishes to you Weevil Man 😊
>
>
> Richard Wells
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Taxacom <taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu> on behalf of
> taxacom-request at mailman.nhm.ku.edu <taxacom-request at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
> Sent: Tuesday, 17 October 2017 4:00 AM
> To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
> Subject: Taxacom Digest, Vol 138, Issue 9
>
> Daily News from the Taxacom Mailing List
>
> When responding to a message, please do not copy the entire digest into
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> ____________________________________
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>
> Today's Topics:
>
>    1. The Australian Museum (bayshark at exemail.com.au)
>    2. BHL Europe & article needed (Douglas Stone)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2017 13:09:18 +1100
> From: <bayshark at exemail.com.au>
> To: "'taxacom'" <taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
> Subject: [Taxacom] The Australian Museum
> Message-ID: <DB435A5153264A089E7272C674B69FD2 at RicardoPC>
> Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="iso-8859-2"
>
> Dear friends,
>
>
>
> Our crook corrupted politicians and bureaucrats destroying our country step
> by step and we - powerless citizens can cry only.
>
>
>
> Now the Australian museum, our museum of Australian nature gets a hit!
>
> Friday 13 of October director of museum accompanied with top politicians
> (no
> scientist or naturalist who will be probably horrified) open 3 floors of
> new
> museum exhibition space under name THE  200 TREASURES in old museum
> gallery.
>
>
>
> All Australian fauna - over 4 000 birds, insects and spiders on display was
> replaced with 200 scattered items half of them not Australian ones.
>
>
>
> All exhibition of insects on the top floor , hundreds different genera and
> species was replaced with just one common genus Anoplognathus (=Christmas
> beetle) in lousy few display boxes !
>
>
>
> All Australian birds in second floor, was replaced just with one penguin
> diorama!
>
>
>
> People who will come to our naturalist Australian museum to see Australian
> birds, lizards or insects will see instead our first banknote, nugget of
> gold, sledge of first Antarctic expedition or apron from Salomon
> Island.....
>
>
>
> So display of our Australian nature has been eliminated from Australian
> museum with financial help of Westpack bank.
>
> So will be no surprised if our government also wipes out our wildlife from
> our country with helps of Chinese developers!
>
>
>
> Regards
>
>
>
>
>
> Vratislav
>
> (name) Wratislaw Ricardo Eugene Maria John Baptist
>
> (surname) of Bejšák (it is pronounced as a Bayshark)-Colloredo-Mansfeld
>
> website: www.coleoptera.org<http://www.coleoptera.org>
> Coleoptera : Home Page<http://www.coleoptera.org/>
> www.coleoptera.org
> For Entomologist who works on Coleoptera / Beetles, and others who are
> inerested in Insects, beetles collecting, ecologist, environmentalist,
> wildlife and Nature lovers.
>
>
>
> address: P.O.Box 3335 , Redfern, NSW 2016
> AUSTRALIA
>
> phone : +61 0420602040
> http://www.facebook.com/bayshark
> [https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-1/p200x200/
> 22050131_10155044046931947_3175581455985739165_n.jpg?oh=
> 19c200ef2b5357e400b0abd5e245601b&oe=5A837D86]<http://www.
> facebook.com/bayshark>
>
> Vratislav Ricardo Bayshark | Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/bayshark>
> www.facebook.com
> Vratislav Ricardo Bayshark is on Facebook. Join Facebook to connect with
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>
>
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